


A Study in Family

by moretrash



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alien Culture, Dads of Marmora (Voltron), Family Fluff, Fluff, Galra big bang 2019, Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-22
Updated: 2019-08-22
Packaged: 2020-09-23 18:31:14
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,413
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20344741
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/moretrash/pseuds/moretrash
Summary: Keith never thought he'd have a family. His mother left when he was too young to remember her, and his father died whne he was too young to remember any significant details.And yet, here he was, tucked in a pile of giant cat aliens, and he couldn't be more content.





	A Study in Family

**Author's Note:**

> This is my addition to the Galra Big Bang 2019!
> 
> There is art by the absolutely amazing @winekita on tumblr! Check out their art for this piece and other art by them here: https://winekita.tumblr.com/post/187177168705/as-some-bonus-fun-i-was-a-pinch-hitter-artist-for

Keith wandered blindly through the hallways of the blade of Marmora, his hands groping at the wall to avoid running straight into anything. It was hard enough for him to see in the dimmed light that permeated the blade headquarters during the day, but it was impossible for him to see at night.

He was only looking for the bathroom to get a glass of water, but he wasn’t even sure if he had turned the right way when he had initially left his bedroom.

Well, bedroom was… a word for the room he slept in. Really, the thing didn’t even have a bed in it, and when he had asked about why, the blade that had helped him to his new room had looked confused, explaining that no Galra ever slept on beds. Keith assumed that meant they just slept on the floor, so he didn’t complain about the back pain that resulted from sleeping on the cold, hard floor every night. Aside from that, it looked like a pretty standard bedroom. It was very, very large, much too large for someone his size, with a much larger than average closet, and little alcoves where Keith would guess other pieces of furniture would be placed, like desks.

Moving back to blindly navigating the halls, Keith was giving himself a headache with how hard he was trying to make himself able to see in the pitch blackness. Occasionally, an exhausted blade would walk by with ease, eyes glowing gold in the darkness as they made their way to their own bedrooms. Keith had figured out that Galra had impeccable night vision, so why didn’t they notice him struggling and take a few minutes to help him?

Perhaps they were waiting for him to ask for the help he wanted, not wanting to provide assistance where it wouldn’t be wanted or appreciated. They were all used to Keith refusing help because he was too proud, insisting on doing things himself. Maybe they were all just tired. Keith couldn’t blame them; he was exhausted too, and he was just looking for a glass of water so he could go back to bed.

“Do you mind helping me, y’know, see?” Keith questioned the next time he saw a pair of glowing yellow eyes moving towards him.

“I do not think that should be how you address those positions of authority.” An amused voice answered, and Keith froze where he was was.

“... Leader?” He questioned, trying to make out who was there.

“Indeed.” Kolivan answered, and Keith could hear the amusement in his voice.

“Apologies, leader. I was not aware it was you.” Keith said.

“No apologies needed, I am aware your paternal species has pathetic levels of eyesight in the dark.” Kolivan answered easily. Keith shrugged. “Where is your destination?”

“Well, I was going to go get a glass of water from the bathroom, and go back to bed.” Keith said. Kolivan nodded and settled a hand on Keith’s shoulder, making sure he didn’t run straight into anything and safely made it to his destination. 

When Keith was being led by someone who had vision in the dark, the trip became a lot smoother, and he was soon back in his bedroom.

“Thank you.” Keith said, setting the glass on the floor by the bed. Kolivan stayed by the door, surveying the room. Keith supposed it looked rather pitiful; a single blanket and a single pillow tucked into the corner. But he assumed that was how all Galra bedrooms appeared.

“Where is your nest?” Kolivan asked.

“My what?” Keith questioned, shuffling under the blanket and resisting a shiver as his exposed arms made contact with the cold metal floor.

“Your nest. Your resting spot. The floor is cold and uncomfortable.” Kolivan said. He stared at Keith’s minute shivers, frowning before reaching down and scooping Keith into his arms with ease. “Never mind that tonight. You should have had the instinct to build a nest by now. How old are you, anyway?” Kolivan questioned. It wasn’t rare to have a Galra who hadn’t yet developed a nesting instinct, as the instinct developed close to the age of maturity, and many new recruits were close to that age.

“I’m eighteen. Where are you taking me?” Keith questioned, only to be met with a jolt like Kolivan came close to dropping him.

“Apologies, I do not think I heard you correctly. What did you say your age was?” Kolivan questioned, his voice quiet, almost horrified.

“I’m eighteen, why?” Keith repeated. Kolivan looked down at Keith and held him closer, more secure in his arms.

“This is an issue. But, to answer your previous question, I am taking you somewhere comfortable to sleep for tonight until arrangements can be made. Sleeping on the floor is awful for your back, and you are shivering because the floor is so cold.” Kolivan answered, a door sliding open before the leader of the blades passed through it.

Keith could make out a lumps on the floor, presumably other people. Kolivan nudged a blanket off of two of the figures, prompting one of the lumps to open their eyes, looking disgruntled at the disturbance.

“Kolivan, what in the universe-?” The figure mumbled as Kolivan laid Keith down between the two figures.

“There are urgent matters I must discuss with you. But for now, do keep him warm for tonight. He has been sleeping on the bare floor of his room.” Kolivan said. The figure nodded and moved to drape the blanket back over Keith and the other figure, closing their eyes again to sleep.

-

“What did you need to talk to me about?” Ulaz questioned the next morning over breakfast. Keith had darted off as soon as he realized just who he was sleeping between, which happened to be Ulaz and Thace. 

“Keith has admitted to me that he is only eighteen. A child!” Kolivan said. Ulaz had to cover his mouth to keep from spitting his food out from the pure shock of the statement.

“Eighteen? Not possible! He would not be fighting if he was that age.” Ulaz insisted.

“But it is possible. Humans have a much shorter lifespan than us Galra. Perhaps he has developed closer to the way of humans.” Kolivan said. Ulaz looked down at the table.

“This changes everything. Keith is at risk for so many different diseases that are caught as a kit! He is too young to fight! You said he was sleeping on the bare floor, he must have a pack to sleep with. A kit’s touch starvation could lead to illness for the kit.” Ulaz said. Kolivan could almost see the gears turning in his head as he thought.

“You wish to take him under your wing, do you not?” Kolivan said. “I am not entirely opposed to it. We shall bring it up to our other pack members later today if you are agreeable.”

“Of course. The kit needs a guiding force, and I would be more than happy to provide it for him.” Ulaz said. “Besides, I could provide more solid medical care for him, as I have worked with the black paladin while he was an empire prisoner, as you are aware, so I have experience with human medical needs.” Ulaz said. Kolivan nodded and smiled lightly when Thace sat down next to his mate, kissing Ulaz on the cheek in a sleepy greeting.

“Good morning, Thace.” Kolivan greeted. Thace darted his eyes between Ulaz and Kolivan a few times, eyebrows furrowed thoughtfully.

“You two are conspiring something.” He accused. Ulaz chuckled lightly and leaned his head on Thace’s shoulder.

“Indeed. I can never hide anything from you, my mate. How would you like to have a kit?” Ulaz asked.

“Really?! Oh, Ulaz, you know I’ve always dreamed of raising kits with you.” Thace said. Indeed, it was a conversation they had had several times; every time, they had agreed that they would prefer to raise kits after the war was over, so their kit would not grow up in a world so torn apart. Nevertheless, it didn’t stop either of them from dreaming of a future life with a kit or two in it.

“Indeed. The new recruit, Keith, is only eighteen. Kolivan and I were just discussing bringing him into the pack. He has been sleeping on the bare floor of his bedroom thus far.” Ulaz said. Thace nodded and smiled.

“I would be more than happy to have him in the pack.” Thace said. “I know he will be more independent and less trusting than the average kit his age, but still.”

“We still need to bring it up to Antok and Regris.” Kolivan pointed out. “I predict that Antok will be likely to agree, as he has a weak spot for kits, but I am unsure about Regris. Although he is no longer a kit, he is one that we have taken under our wing, he may not like feeling replaced, even if we made sure he knew that was not the case.” 

The dining room had been nearly empty when the group had entered, mostly filled with exhausted doctors or guards coming off of the night shift to get a bite to eat before going to bed. Not a lot of blades got up quite as early as Kolivan's pack. Now, though, it was rapidly filling with people as they woke up and wandered down to get some food.

Keith entered quietly, plopping down at a table in the corner with a plate piled with junk food. Ulaz felt himself cringe at the sight; while he wasn't opposed to junk food altogether, he could hardly see the reasoning behind having a whole meal out of it. Keith laid his head on the table and closed his eyes, ignoring the chatter around him.

Thace sighed sadly and smiled when Antok and Regris sat down at their table. Antok was wide awake, while Regris looked similar to Keith in his dozing state.

“Hello, my mate. How would you feel about a kit?” Kolivan asked Antok, asking a similar question of Regris.

“I am not opposed to it. Why, has an orphaned kit arrived from a mission?” Antok questioned. It wasn't rare that a group of blades would arrive back from a mission with an orphaned kit, intent on giving it a good life with the blades.

“No, Keith is only eighteen. We suspect he has developed closer to human standards.” Kolivan said. Regris looked over and smiled lightly.

“He always looks so lonely. I want him to have a pack.” Regris said. Kolivan smiled.

“I shall talk to him about it soon, then. I am likely going to give him the day off to rest.” Kolivan said. Regris gave a tired cheer as he took a bite of his breakfast, having to be kept awake long enough to swallow so that he didn't choke.

-

“Keith, I must talk to you about an urgent matter.” Kolivan said when he tracked the boy down after breakfast. Keith looked up at him, his head tilted just slightly.

“Yes?” Keith questioned. To Kolivan's absolute horror, he had located Keith just outside of the main training room, clearly intending to go inside. That wouldn't do at all; kits had sensitive stomachs, and any heavy exercise so soon after a meal was likely to do nothing but make the kit ill.

“Your age is rather worrying. You see, for Galra, eighteen is the age of a young toddler. To hear that we have forced a toddler to handle the trials is absolutely horrifying.” Kolivan said. Keith furrowed his eyebrows.

“I mean no disrespect, leader, but I'm fine. Eighteen is actually the age of maturity for humans, I'm more than capable of taking care of everything myself.” Keith said.

“Oh, really? What if I did this-” Kolivan said, his fingers finding the spot where Keith's skull met his neck and gently scratching.

Keith immediately went limp, and Kolivan had to keep him up to keep him from falling over completely. This was certainly not what Kolivan had been anticipating; sure, he had expected the minor reaction of a touch-starved kit, but this was an extremely severe response. Perhaps the situation was more serious than he had previously thought.

“That was a rather violent response, Keith. I would like to extend an offer to you of joining my pack. Kits need a guiding force and people to keep them safe.” Kolivan said. Keith looked up and frowned, looking disgruntled. “Yes, yes, I am aware that you insist on your ability to survive on your own, but packs are extremely important to Galra. A kit, especially, is at risk of serious illness without a pack or touch.”

“I don't know…” Keith said.

“Think about it, Keith. We can help you understand more about your Galran heritage and how it affects you.” Kolivan said. Keith took a deep breath and seemed to consider it for a moment.

“So this pack thing would entail… what exactly?” Keith asked. “Like, extra work?”

Kolivan couldn't help it, he just started to laugh.

“Extra work? Oh, no, no, nothing like that! Packs are… oh, how should I put it, no work at all. Your only job in the pack is to rest and take care of yourself. Of course, if you don't, your pack will make sure you do.” Kolivan explained. 

“Alright. Who all is in your pack?” Keith asked.

“Myself, Antok, Ulaz, Thace, and Regris.” Kolivan said. “We have all discussed it, if you were wondering, and agreed that you would be a fine addition to the pack.”

“Well… I mean, I guess it couldn't be too bad…” Keith said finally. In truth, he was still sure he could take care of himself, but he wasn't sure if he was allowed to reject an offer from the leader of the organization.

“Perfect. Follow me.” Kolivan said. Keith complied and followed Kolivan through the halls, having to jog to keep up.

Kolivan entered a room that Keith vaguely recognized as the room he had slept in the night before. The rook itself was very colorful now that Keith had a good look; it was covered in multicolored blankets and pillows. The closet was open slightly, revealing a small peak at clothes.

“Lay down anywhere you'd like. This is the pack nest. You have the day off to rest, you cannot have been sleeping well with how uncomfortable the floor is.” Kolivan said.

“Oh, that isn't necessary, leader.” Keith said.

“I think you misunderstood. A day off is not a suggestion, it is an order. And if we are in the same pack, call me Kolivan.” He taller of the two said. Keith nodded and laid down. “Now, I must be off to my daily routine. If you need anything, do let one of us know.” Kolivan said, leaving the room.

Keith looked around at the room, taking a moment to absorb everything. The blankets under him were extremely soft and comfortable, and the loose ones that were clearly intended to be slept under were extremely fluffy and warm.

-

It was boring, days off. Keith spent the better part of three hours staring at the ceiling before Ulaz entered the room.

“Ah, hello Keith. Have you rested any?” The doctor asked. Keith looked over and sighed.

“No, I'm bored.” Keith answered.

“Oh I'm aware of how unentertaining days off can be. But, I need you to come with me to the medical bay.” Ulaz said.

“Why?” Keith asked, sitting up and stretching.

“As a pack member, it is my duty to make sure you are healthy and do anything I can to help if you aren't. Added to the fact that you blatantly ignored my own and Kolivan's orders to report to the medical bay for a mandatory physical.” Ulaz said. Keith looked away sheepishly and followed Ulaz to the medical bay, climbing up onto an examination table.

The medical bay was relatively empty, containing a few doctors who looked over when Ulaz entered, giving a small nod of greeting before tending to their sleeping patients. Ulaz pulled out a datapad and pushed a cart of supplies closer to the examination table.

“Okay, Keith. From what I understand, you have likely developed closer to the way of humans, which explains why you are so large for your age. Is it alright if I take a few tests to determine your health?” Ulaz asked. Keith nodded and sighed. “Alright. First off is a blood test to determine nutrient levels. I do that first because the time to get results is roughly the same amount of time it takes to do the other test.” Ulaz said.

“Okay.” Keith answered, although it was clear from his tone that he wasn't the biggest fan of that idea. Ulaz nodded and turned, grabbing a small vial that looked comically tiny in his large hand (paw? Keith would have to ask later what the proper term was.)

“Do not fret, it is simply nothing more than a prick on the finger and a few drops of blood.” Ulaz said. Keith relaxed and nodded. That wasn't so bad.

As it turned out, it really wasn't that bad. Ulaz pricked his finger just enough to get blood, and filled the tiny vial before sending it off with another doctor to run the test.

“Now is simply a scan to get a good understanding of your basic anatomy. Other species have organs that are necessary for their survival while Galra do not.” Ulaz said. “It won't hurt at all, I simply need you to lay flat on your back.” Once Keith was laying down, Ulaz ran a surprisingly small device over his body. All in all, the scan lasted only about a minute and a half before Ulaz was helping him sit up.

The same doctor that Ulaz had sent the blood sample with returned, their face grave. Ulaz frowned as he was pulled aside.

“That patient there is dangerously deficient in nearly every nutrient critical to Galran life. How does this happen?” The doctor asked.

“Well, he was not aware he was part Galra for a long while. I shall put him on vitamin supplements and design a diet plan high in the necessary nutrients in the meantime. It is just one of the risks you run when you are part Galra.” Ulaz explained. It was rare that such a thing came up; usually, people were aware they had Galran blood and they took care of their bodies in accordance with it. For something like this to come up, it was truly startling.

However, looking at the boy, he wasn't entirely surprised. Keith always did seem rather exhausted. Plus, with all the exercise he did, Ulaz was surprised he wasn't building any form of muscle, which now he supposed was a side effect of being deficient in many nutrients. After all, he couldn't build muscle if his muscles didn't have the necessary nutrients.

“Impossible.” Ulaz said when he glanced at Keith's scan.

“What?” Keith asked, looking rather nervous.

“Everything seems to be rather normal, but it appears that you have a tailbone. Did you, at one time, have a tail? Why did you have it removed? Was it in an accident?” Ulaz questioned worriedly.

“No, no, I never had a tail. Humans did at one point, a really long time ago, but we just… evolved to not have them, and the tailbone remained.” Keith explained. Ulaz looked puzzled, but he nodded.

“Alright. You also seem to have organ missing.” Ulaz said, showing Keith the scan.

“Oh. That's where my appendix was. I got that removed when I was 7 or 8. Yeah, humans don't really need those anymore either.” Keith explained. Ulaz nodded and glanced at the scan again, nodding to himself.

“Other than that, everything looks relatively normal.” Ulaz said. “However, the results of your blood test came back rather worrying. You are deficient in most of the nutrients that are vital to Galran life. As a result, you will be put on supplements and given a nutrient rich diet plan until your levels come back to a normal point.”

“I thought what I was eating was healthy?” Keith questioned. Ulaz looked horrified.

“Oh, heavens no it is not. What you are eating is nothing more than pure junk.” Ulaz said. “While I'm not opposed to treats, you will not just be having that at every meal as long as you are a member of my pack. You will eat food with sustenance.”

“Fair enough.” Keith said. He wasn't a particularly picky eater, so he didn't really care what he ate.

“Alright. Now, come with me and get some lunch. I will return to the pack nest tonight with your supplements.” Ulaz said, waiting for Keith to hop down from the examination table and follow him to the dining hall.

Ulaz helped Keith choose a balanced lunch. He gave Keith various choices for each part of his plate, letting Keith choose what he wanted from within those options. By the end, Keith had a light but filling lunch on his plate, and a fruit cup for dessert. He found that the food actually tasted amazing, which he wasn't really expecting. He was expecting the same taste as vegetables of Earth, of which he found some to be rather bland no matter how he cooked them. Some of what Ulaz insisted were vegetables actually tasted a lot like fruit, which was equally as surprising. Which started a non aggressive argument as to whether or not those foods were, in fact, vegetables. Keith insisted that they weren't, as they tasted much too sweet, but Ulaz had shut him down with explaining that they were vegetables because of pure science. 

-

Keith found himself lounging in the nest once again, bored out of his mind. He entertained the idea of reading a book when he spotted the stuffed bookshelf against one of the walls, but he decided against it when he realized all the books were written in Galran.

Actually, some of them looked suspiciously like those cheesy romance novels on Earth, if the covers were anything to go by. Wonder who those belonged to.

He found himself looking at one to compare it to Earth romance novels. On the cover was a large, muscled Galra holding a smaller, dainty-looking Olkari. Keith personally thought the pairing was a bit unrealistic considering the strained relationship between the two races, but he also wasn't sure when the book was published. 

Keith put the book back and laid down once again, staring at the ceiling. He supposed there wasn't much else to do other than sleep, so he crawled under one of the nearby blankets and promptly passed out.

-

If there was one thing Thace wasn't expecting to return to the nest to, it was a sleeping Keith. Moreover, a sleeping Keith in Thace's sleeping spot.

Was Thace perhaps a little possessive over his sleeping spot? Yes. But come on, could anyone blame him? A sleeping spot was special!

Thace gently rolled Keith several feet away from the spot, huffing as he laid down himself. He was always the first to return to the nest for the day, and would often nap until Ulaz came to get him for dinner. 

Keith stirred when he was pushed into a new spot, looking confused when he saw Thace. Thace was staring at him, which was a tad bit worrying. What very much worried him was when Thace started sniffing him, humming in thought.

He was about to ask what Thace was doing when the Galra moved away, meticulously moving around to nest and piling up blankets of all colors and sizes. From there, he placed around until he stopped dead in the center of the nest, removing the blankets from there and distributing them randomly through the nest. He took the gathered blankets and arranged them in the empty space, creating a small divot in the shape.

Thace smiled and scooped Keith up as though he weighed no more than air, which seemed to be a common trait among all Galra. Was he really just that light to them? How much could the average Galra bench-press?

However, Keith was surprised when he was placed in the new divot, but also pleasantly surprised at how nice and comfortable it was. He rolled over and stretched, smiling.

“That is your spot from now on. You have every right to defend it from anyone else.” Thace declared.

“Defend it?” Keith asked.

“Yes, defend it. If someone tries to claim it. It is your spot now.” Thace said, looking confused. “Every Galra has their spot in a pack nest. No one can claim that spot as their own for any purpose. For example, mine is next to Ulaz’, and I am allowed to take up his spot only because I am his mate. Anyone else and he would defend his spot.” Thace explained. “You were in my spot, but I chose not to take action because you are just a kit. You did not know any better.”

“Oh. I'm sorry, I didn't know it was your spot.” Keith said.

“Odd. All of our spots are scent-marked so we know who has claimed them. Although, I suppose you couldn't know; according to Ulaz, your senses are quite dulled on account of the poor senses of your paternal species.” Thace said.

“Okay. So I just… stay here?” Keith asked, thoroughly confused.

“No, no, you are free to wander the nest. I will place items where the others’ spots are, so you may not settle there. However, everywhere else is free game to anyone.” Thace said easily. He grabbed a few small items, dropping them in specific spots around the nest to alert to Keith where each pack member had claim their spot.

Keith chose to stay where he was, extremely comfortable in his new spot. He glanced up when the door opened, revealing Antok. He brightened at the sight of Keith, coming over and nuzzling him. Perhaps it was meant to be gentle, welcoming nuzzling, but he was significantly larger than Keith and succeeded in no more than shoving Keith a few inches to the left.

“Good afternoon, kit. Have you had a nice day off? I must say, it was odd not seeing your presence in the training halls all day.” Antok said. Keith shrugged.

“I was bored most of the time.” He said simply. Antok nodded and sniffed at Keith in the same way Thace did.

“Hmm. You are certainly in need of a grooming session. I can smell soap on you, so it is not that you are unclean, but your skin and hair is rough. You need to be groomed.” Antok said.

“Grooming?” Keith asked curiously.

“Yes, grooming. It would actually be wonderful pack bonding time. We will set aside time after dinner. Kits are notorious for falling asleep while grooming, and Ulaz would have my head if I let you go to sleep with an empty stomach.” Antok said. Keith still looked confused at what exactly what being said to him, but he didn't look too far into it.

“How was your day, Antok?” Thace asked.

“It was fine. Nothing happened in terms of injuries today, although it came very close.” Antok said.

“Well at least no one got hurt! Do you know who Regris is with?” Thace said.

“Last I checked he was with Kolivan in his office, although he may have moved on to Ulaz’ office if Kolivan had a meeting.” Antok said. Thace nodded.

“Oh! That's another thing, kit. As a kit, you have free reign of our offices if you wish to visit your pack members during the day. Many of us keep our doors open for you kits, although Kolivan may have his closed if he has a meeting that you can't go into. If it's open and he does have a meeting going on, feel free to enter if you wish.” Thace said. Keith looked up at him and nodded, yelping in surprise when he felt Antok picking him up.

“Now, you must be famished, little one! It is nearly dinnertime!” The largest pack member said, and Keith found himself settled on a hip not unlike the way a toddler would be carried. But Antok is making some odd crumbly noises that Keith doesn't really care to decipher at the moment. Instead, he just relents, because Antok was a lot stronger than him and would likely just manhandle him if he tried to resist. 

So, he let himself relax just the slightest bit. Not enough that he would be unprepared for anything, oh no, but something about the rumble was turning his mind into static and relaxation.

“What is that? That sound you're making?” He asked. Antok looked down in surprise.

“I'm rumbling to you, kit. It is a surefire way to keep kits as young as you calm.” He said. Keith nodded, still obviously a bit confused. “I shall have Ulaz explain it to you in depth, I am sure he studied why Galra vocalize different noises the way we do at some point in his medical training.” He said idly while he set Keith down and glanced at the list of foods Ulaz had sent.

Ulaz had sent each of the pack members a message via their datapads just a small bit ago, labelled “DIETARY NEEDS OF THE NEWEST KIT.” In it, he had explained Keith's nutrition issues, and included a list of foods that were rich in everything he needed.

“You stay right there. And if anyone tries to bother you, simply growl at them. It is a warning sign to back off to any Galra. And challenging boundaries of any individual is strictly against the rules here.” Antok said. “However, I'd avoid doing it often, as some more conservatively-raised Galra see it as a sign of disrespect and may just push more. In that case, you come get me, alright?” He said. Keith nodded lightly, making a noise of surprise when Antok nuzzled him before going to get in line for food.

Thace returned with his food faster than Antok did, offering Keith a bite when he heard his stomach growl.

“Poor thing, you must be famished. Antok will be back with you meal soon, but for now, have a bite of this.” Thace said, offering a bite of his food. “Don't worry, it tastes good. Go on.” He encouraged, smiling when Keith took a bite. He watched with amusement as Keith's eyes lit up at the taste.

Antok set a plate in front of Keith, laughing at Keith's surprised look. He knew that the kit hadn't seen him coming, so he was rightfully surprised by the sudden appearance of food.

“Here is your dinner, young one. Ulaz said you are to eat all of it before you are allowed dessert.” Antok said. “And before you protest, the same rule has always applied to Regris.”

“Why Regris?” Keith asked curiously, digging into his plate of food.

“He is just barely above the age of maturity. He still has many kit mannerisms that he will grow out of as time goes on.” Thace said. He clapped his hands lightly when Ulaz sat on his other side, leaning against his mate. Ulaz glanced over and gave Keith's meal an approving nod before gently licking at his mate's temple, an action that thoroughly confused Keith.

“Us it normal for Galra to lick each other?” He asked. Ulaz stopped what he was doing mid-lick, looking rather cute with his tongue lightly sticking out as he looked at Keith in confusion.

“Humans do not groom their loved ones?” He asked.

“No. In the human cultures I know about, licking a person is actually considered to be rather rude.” Keith said.

“Oh! Well, for Galra, it is quite normal. It is a gesture of affection as well as a way to clean yourself.” Ulaz explained. Keith nodded and relaxed, continuing to eat. He yelped when Regris sat down with a flourish, all smiles and giggles while Kolivan looked a bit worn down and tired.

“Aw, Reg had a little more energy than usual today, huh?” Antok said knowingly. Kolivan nodded and smiled when Regris nuzzled him.

"I would not exactly call it energy. He is a bit off-kilter today with all the changes." Kolivan explained.

"Ah, that will be expected. Adding anyone new into a pack throws a kit out of balance for a while, especially a new kit." Ulaz said knowingly. "It has nothing to do with you, personally, Keith. It is simple instinct for a kit to get distressed by sudden change. Just this morning Regris was rather excited to have you in the pack."

"I didn't think it it had anything to do with me, but okay I guess?" Keith said, unsure of how to respond. He felt a tail gently poking his cheek and looked over, smiling lightly when he found Regris poking him.

"Hello." Regris said simply, grinning as he jabbed his tail into Keith side and earning a round of laughter for his efforts. "Oh, ticklish are you?" He said brightly.

"Yes, yes, that is all well and good, but let Keith eat first." Thace said with a chuckle. Regris huffed but relented, sitting down next to Keith.

"After dinner, we usually go relax. You look like you need to sleep." Regris said, eyeing the bags under Keith's eyes worriedly.

"I'm fine." Keith said simply, getting up to put his plate away.

"On the contrary, kit, I do not think so. Do not fret, we will make sure you sleep." Ulaz said, gently picking Regris up and shifting him to his back. Regris latched on with his claws, purring quietly. He tail swished back and forth lazily, as though it were an unconscious movement.

"Alright." Keith said, clearly not understanding what was going on. "Isn't that hurting you?" He asked.

"Not at all, actually. This is the way Galra kits latch on to be carried. As a result, Galra have adapted so their skin is tough and hard to break through to accommodate this trait." Ulaz explained.

"Like this!" Antok said, scooping Keith up without warning and placing him on his back. Keith squawked and scrambled to find purchase of Antok's back before he fell, calming when he had a somewhat stable hold on the man. He was still trembling from the near-fall, not wanting to imagine what would happen. Antok was rather large, even for Galra, and he didn't seem to be fully Galra, either, which made him wonder exactly how large his other parent was, and what race they were.

"Antok, you cannot just do things like that. What would have happened if he did not find a way to latch on?" Kolivan lectured protectively. Antok's ears lowered like a scolded puppy.

"Never mind that. See? Keith is enjoying it." Ulaz noted, gesturing to where Keith was relaxing on Antok's back. "I wonder if he can purr. His vocal abilities may not have developed to allow such a thing."

"Did you not test for that?" Antok asked.

"I saw no reason to. There is no need to fix it if that is the case, as it is causing no harm to the kit. It is simply how he developed. It is not uncommon for hybrids to not have the ability to purr, after all." Ulaz said. "I checked for things that would need to be fixed as soon as possible. He needs many vaccines, I have discovered, but we cannot do them all at once."

"Aww, it sounds like he's trying to purr." Antok noted quietly. He reached up and lightly carded his fingers through Keith's hair, prompting a small, choppy rumble sound, like a car that was struggling to turn on in the middle of winter.

"Yes, yes! Wonderful job, kit." Thace said happily. "It only sounds rough because you have never done such a thing before. It will become easier and smoother with time."

"I'm… purring?" Keith asked, sounding amazed at this fact about himself.

"Indeed you are!" Antok said gleefully, starting off in the direction of the nest room. "I do hope you will become comfortable enough with all of us to embrace your Galran instincts." He added, setting Keith down in his spot and looking confused at the book that was laying in the middle of his own spot.

"Umm… Thace, why is one of your cliche romance novels on my spot?" He asked.

"Oh! As it turns out, Keith does not have the strong sense of smell Galra do, or at least not enough that he can smell individual scents. So, to help him, I set objects in each of your spots. I showed him how to scent-mark his own spot as well." Thace said. "And I expect each and every one of you to respect his spot the same way he respects yours." He said sternly, turning his entire pack into scolded puppies before they had even done anything.

"Alright, my mate. You may relax now, no one is going to mess with the kit's spot. Heavens knows he needs the stability." Ulaz said. "It is a safe spot for him." Indeed, Keith had already curled up in his spot, working his way under a fluffy blanket in the process.

"Go ahead and sleep if you want to, kit. We usually play a board game or watch a show before bed to wind down." Kolivan said. Keith sat up again, tilting his head as Regris grabbed a board game.

"This one is fun. You can watch the first round and learn how to play, if you would like." He said. Keith shrugged and shuffled to join the little circle that had formed.

-

"Keith, do you want to- Oh, he's asleep." Regris said after the first round. At some point, Keith had drifted off to sleep, partially covered by his blanket. Ulaz looked over and chuckled fondly.

"I am not surprised. The kit has had a long, exciting day." The doctor said, gently shifting Keith into his spot and tucking the blanket around him tighter.

"I think we all have. Time for you to get in bed as well, kit." Thace said, wrapping a blanket around Regris and kissing his forehead. Regris smiled and laid down in his spot, curled up against Thace's stomach. He was closest with Thace, and Thace was essentially his father in all but blood. All the other blades knew who to bring Regris to when the kit needed to be with his pack.

Of course, he was close with his other pack members as well, but he had a special bond with Thace. Everyone was fine with this, they just hoped Keith would find someone like that within their pack.

The other members of the pack settled down one by one. Kolivan and Antok always took up each other's spaces at night, as did Ulaz and Thace. Mates commonly did that, more just using the personal spaces for if someone needed alone time. 

-

Antok awoke in the middle of the night to an unfamiliar presence against his back. He turned around in confusion, smiling when he spotted Keith, fast asleep, pressed against Antok's back.

Of course, Antok really shouldn't have been as surprised as he had been; Keith didn't have fur like the rest of them, of course he would be cold given the temperatures were lower to accommodate for fur. And, being so cold, Keith would seek out something warm to leech off of. Antok just smiled fondly and lifted Keith up gently, setting him down between himself and Kolivan so he could be warm.

Kolivan stirred at the sudden movement from his mate, cracking his eyes open and glancing at Keith with a questioning expression.

"He is cold." Antok explained quietly. Kolivan nodded and settled back down, falling asleep. Antok smiled and leaned down, gently grooming the kit’s hair. Keith looked up in confusion, furrowing his eyebrows at the sight of the large Galra licking him.

“Um… What are you doing?” He asked, quietly because he didn’t want to disturb anyone’s sleep. Antok smiled at him lightly.

“Grooming you, kit. Now settle down and go to sleep.” He said quietly, nudging Keith with a smile. 

-

Keith was awoken by movement all around this nest that he was suddenly a part of.

When he cracked open his eyes, he could see that Kolivan and Ulaz were awake and getting ready for their days, having to get up earlier because of their rather demanding positions. Antok and Thace remained fast asleep, not having to get up and face the day for a few hours yet.

“Kits should be sleeping, this early in the morning.” Ulaz said quietly, crouching next to Keith. Keith shrugged lightly in response and stretched his arms over his head.

“I guess.” He said.

“Don’t worry, I am confident that Antok will make sure you are awake at a decent hour. He wakes up at a more reasonable time, anyway, most blades don’t train until later in the morning.” Kolivan reassured, nuzzling Keith and rumbling to him briefly before leaving the pack room, no doubt to head to his office or whatever ungodly-early meeting he had scheduled. Soon after, Ulaz ruffled Keith’s hair before heading out himself, pulling his medical coat over his shoulders as he walked out the door. Keith rolled over and curled closer to Antok, falling asleep once again. 

-

Keith was awoken a few hours later by Antok. It seemed that Regris had been awake for quite some time now, as he was already dressed and ready for the day. Keith got up and stretched, grabbing his blade uniform and slipping into it.

The armor of the uniform was light but durable, easy to move in compared to the heavier paladin armor. On the other hand, the paladin armor was a little more custom to his size, while the blade armor was made in standard sizes of which Keith was positive he wore the smallest size or close to it. Either way, it was certainly comfortable to wear for the long days the blades lived.

“Good morning, kit. You and Regris go get breakfast and meet me in the training hall after your nap.” Antok said. Keith blinked in confusion, tilting his head like a puppy.

“Nap? I just woke up.”

“Oh, just a rest. Kit stomachs are sensitive and likely to get ill if we go through training so soon after we eat. So, I usually just rest here in the nest for a little bit before I go to training.” Regris explained, walking leisurely down to the dining hall with Keith. They each grabbed a plate of food and sat down in a quiet corner.

Keith had grabbed clothes that looked similar to foods he recognized on Earth; toast, fruit, and jelly. However, he found that the jelly was bizarrely savory in flavor, and the fruit was sour. In an odd way, though, it was extremely tasty to him. Perhaps that was just his galra taste buds, or maybe that was just his own odd preferences for foods.

After breakfast, Regris led Keith back to the nest, flopping down into the blankets like it was his god-given right to be there. He tapped on his datapad, bringing up some sort of puzzle game; at least, that’s what it look like to Keith. Some sort of virtual jigsaw puzzle. Keith sat down and watched Regris methodically put together the puzzle, and he didn’t even get all the way through it before their rest time was over and it was time for them to start heading to the training hall.

Antok wasn’t forgiving with training, not in the slightest. He still pushed them to their limits and then beyond that, working them to the bone in the name of arming them as best as he could with the knowledge of how to fight and survive in the heat of the battle.

Despite his heaving breaths and the sweat pouring down his face, Keith was happy. He had a family, a real, genuine family, for the first time since his mother had left and his father had died. And this family would always help him, that much was clear.

It wasn’t perfect, but at the end of the day, Keith couldn’t be happier with the way this whole strange experience had turned out.

**Author's Note:**

> Check out my tumblr at legendary-marmorans!


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